John 12 Accordingly then, six days before the Passover feast, Jesus came into Bethany where Lazarus – the one having died – was, whom Jesus raised up out from the midst of dead folks.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Accordingly then, six days before the Passover feast, Jesus came into Bethany where Lazarus – the one having died – was, whom Jesus raised up out from the midst of dead folks. ² So they made dinner (the evening meal) for Him there, and Martha was serving [them]. Now Lazarus was one of those still reclining (lying back) [at the meal] with Him. ³ Then Mary, taking a pound (Roman pound = about 12 oz.; about a pint) of very costly (of much value; precious) genuine (= pure) perfumed ointment (or: oil; aromatic juice distilled from plants) extracted from the spike-nard plant, anoints and rubs (as in preparing the body with oil for gymnastics) the feet of Jesus, and then wipes His feet off with her hair, and so the house was filled full with (or: from) the fragrance (aroma; odor) of the perfumed ointment. ⁴ Now Judah (or: Judas) – one of His disciples, the one of Simon Iscariot [and] the one being about to proceed giving Him over (or: turning Him in) – proceeds in saying, ⁵ "Why (Through what [reason; situation]) was this perfumed ointment not sold for three hundred denarii (= a year's wages) and given to (or: for) destitute (poor) people?" ⁶ He said this, though, not because it was normally a care (or: of interest) to him about the destitute (the poor people), but rather, because he had been existing as a thief, and, normally holding (or: having; [other MSS: used to be in possession of]) the money box (or: case; originally a receptacle for the "tongues" {i.e., mouth-pieces} of musical instruments), had been regularly carrying (or: bearing) the things being repeatedly (or: habitually) deposited. [note: the verb of being is the imperfect tense, and can refer to past practice; thus, John is not necessarily saying that Judas was currently a thief, but is pointing out his disposition toward money; the verb for carrying (bearing) can also be used in the sense of "bearing away," "removing," or "pilfering;" or, it can be used to signify "supporting; providing for" – this latter giving a different slant to John's words. Recall that Mark says that "some" had indignation, and Matt. says "the disciples" did, so Judas expressed a consensus. Also, in Matt. 26:6, they were in the same town, but at a different place – the house of Simon the leper – and an anonymous woman enters while they are eating, and this time pours the costly ointment on His head. Jesus gives a response similar to below] ⁷ Then Jesus says, "Let her off (or: Forgive her; or: = Leave her alone) so that she can keep it in view (watch over, observe, take note of and guard it) on into the day of the preparation for My burial, ⁸ "for you see, the destitute ones (the poor people) you folks are always having with yourselves. Yet, you are not always holding (or: having) Me." ⁹ Then many of the common folks (or: the vast crowd) from out of the Jews became aware (or: got to know) that He is there, and they come (or: came) – not only because of Jesus, but also so that they might see and become acquainted with Lazarus, whom He raised up from out of the midst of dead ones. ¹⁰ So the chief priests [note: representing the Sadducees] deliberated and resolved (or: purposed and made a plan) to the end that they should also kill off Lazarus, ¹¹ because many of the Jews had been repeatedly going on account of him, and then were progressively believing and continuing to put their trust into Jesus (or: = believing what Jesus was saying; or: = being convinced that Jesus was the Messiah). ¹² The next day (or: On the morrow), the vast crowd going unto the Feast (or: i.e., the one coming into the festival) – upon hearing that Jesus is on His way into Jerusalem – ¹³ took the branches (or: fronds) of the palm trees (date palms) and went out into a meeting with Him, and they began and kept on shouting, "Ho-san'na [Heb. word meaning: Save now; Send your salvation]! O One having been blessed, now coming (or: repeatedly coming) in [the] Lord's Name (= in [the] Name which is Yahweh): the King of Israel!" [Ps. 118:25, 26] ¹⁴ Now Jesus, finding a donkey colt (or: a small donkey, or, ass), sits down upon it – according as it stands, having been written, ¹⁵ "Do not continue fearing (or: Stop fearing), O daughter of Zion! Look and consider, your King is progressively coming – presently sitting upon a donkey's colt." [Zech 9:9] ¹⁶ Now His disciples did not notice, become personally aware of, or understand these things, at the first, but when Jesus was glorified and became renowned, they were then reminded that these things were written upon Him (= had been written about Him), and that they did these things for Him (or: to Him; with Him). ¹⁷ Accordingly, the crowd of common folks – the one constantly being with Him when He summoned Lazarus forth from out of the memorial tomb and raised him out of the midst of dead ones – kept on bearing witness and giving testimony. ¹⁸ [It was] on account of this, [that] the [other] crowd also came to meet with Him, because they heard [that] He had performed (done; made; produced) this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said among themselves (to one another), "You are observing (noticing; or, as an imperative: Be watching and considering) that your efforts are futile (that you men are benefiting nothing; = that you are getting nowhere). Look and consider! The world (or: Secular society; the system of our culture; = the inhabitants of our organized society; or: = Everyone) went off after (or: goes away behind) him!" ²⁰ Now there were certain (or: some) Greeks (or: Hellenists; those of the Greek culture; or: Jews who had acculturated to Hellenistic philosophy or culture) out of those progressively coming up so that they could worship in the feast (or: pay homage at the festival). ²¹ These, then, approached Philip [note: this is a Greek name] – the one from Bethsaida of the Galilee [area] – and began inquiring with a request of him, saying, "Sir (or: My lord), we desire (or: wish) to see and become acquainted with (or: = have an interview with) Jesus." ²² Philip proceeds to go and he tells Andrew [note: also a Greek name]. Andrew and Philip then continue on to Jesus, and proceed telling Him. ²³ Yet Jesus is deliberating a reply for them, [and] proceeds saying, "The hour has come and is here so that the Son of Mankind (Humanity's Son; = the Son of Adam; or: = the Human Being; or: = the eschatological Messianic figure) can be glorified (may receive a renowned reputation; should be made a manifestation which calls forth praise). ²⁴ "Most assuredly (It is certainly true; Yes, indeed; Count on it; Amen, amen), I am saying to you folks [that] unless the grain of wheat (or: kernel of corn; = seed of an agricultural crop), upon falling into the earth (the ground; the field), should die, it by itself continues remaining alone. Yet if it should die, it proceeds to bear much fruit (= it produces a harvest of many grains, or, seeds). ²⁵ "The person being constantly fond of (maintaining an emotional attachment to; continuing in devoted affection for) his soul (or: soul-life; interior being; = self) progressively destroys it (or: her), and in contrast, the one constantly hating (regarding with less affection or with ill-will) his soul (or: soul-life; interior being) within this System (world; ordered arrangement; = this cultural, political and religious society) will safeguard (keep in watchful custody and preserve) it, [leading] on into eonian life (life of and for the ages; life having the qualities and characteristics of the Age; life for, pertaining to, and having its source in, the Age [of Messiah]). ²⁶ "If anyone would habitually give attending service (raise dust throughout in hastening to provide for material needs) to Me, let him habitually and progressively follow with Me, and then where I Myself am, there My attending servant will also be (exist; have his or her being). If anyone would habitually give attending service to Me and provide for Me, the Father will value and honor him. ²⁷ "At the present time, My soul (inner self; feelings; emotion; will) has been stirred up (shaken; disturbed; troubled), and what can (or: should) I say? O Father, deliver (rescue; save) Me from out of the midst of this hour! (or: ?) But to the contrary, on account of this I come (or: came) into this hour. ²⁸ "O Father, glorify Your Name (bring glory and renowned reputation to your Name in a manifestation which calls forth praise)!" Then a voice (or: sound) came from out of the midst of the heaven (or: the sky; the atmosphere): "I both bring (or: brought) glory to [it], and I will continue glorifying [it] again!" ²⁹ Hence the crowd of common folks, the [crowd] standing around and hearing [it], began to say that it had thundered. Others were saying, "A messenger (or: An agent) has spoken to him." ³⁰ Jesus decidedly replied, and said, "This voice (or: sound) has occurred (happened; come to be) not because of Me, but rather because of you folks (= for your benefit). ³¹ "At the present time (or: Now) is an evaluation of and a decision pertaining to (or: a sifting of and separation for; or: a judgment from) this System (or: this ordered arrangement; this world; this polity, culture and religion; or: this system of control and subjugation). Now the Ruler (the one invested with power; the leader; the chief; the ruler; or: the Original One; The Beginning One; the Prince) of this System will be ejected outside (or: At this time the Chief of this world of culture, religion and government, the Originator and Controlling Principle of the ordered arrangement and universe, will be thrown out, [to the] outside [of it]). ³² "And so then I, if I should be lifted up from out of the earth (or: when I can be exalted forth from the midst of this Land), I will progressively drag [note: drag as with, or in, a net; or: draw, as drawing water with a bucket, or a sword out of a sheath] all mankind (or: everyone) to Myself." ³³ Now He was saying this continuing to indicate, by a sign, by what sort of death He was progressively being about to be proceeding to die. ³⁴ Therefore the crowd considered and replied to Him, "We, ourselves, hear (or: heard) from out of the Law that the Christ continuously remains (abides; dwells) on into the Age; so how are you, yourself, now saying that it continues necessary and binding for the Son of Mankind (= the Human Being; = the eschatological Messianic figure) to be lifted up? Who is this Son of Mankind (or: = son of Adam)?" ³⁵ Jesus then says to them, "The Light continues being (or: is) among you folks, yet a little time (= for a little while). Continue walking around (= living your lives; = order your behavior) while you folks continue having the Light, so that Darkness (the dim shadow-land of obscurity; = the ignorance of the system of shadows) can (or: could; would) not grasp you with force and take you folks down. And the one constantly walking around within the Darkness has not seen nor does he know under what place he progressively leads [his path] (or: where he is humbly going; where he is constantly withdrawing). ³⁶ "While you continue having the Light, progressively trust and believe into the Light, to the end that you folks can yourselves come to be (or: would yourselves be birthed) sons of Light (= folks having the quality and characteristics of light; folks whose source is Light; [note: this could be considered a Hebrew idiom for ‘enlightened people’])." Jesus spoke these things, and then after going off, He was hidden (or, as a passive with a reflexive idea: kept Himself concealed) from them. ³⁷ Yet, [even with] His having performed (done; made; produced) so many signs in front of them, they were not proceeding to believe or place their trust into Him, ³⁸ to the end that the word (or: message) of Isaiah the prophet could (may; should; would) be made full (or: fulfilled), which he said: "O Lord [= Yahweh], who trusts or believes in our report (tidings; the thing heard from us)? And to whom was the Lord's [= Yahweh's] arm unveiled (revealed; uncovered)?" [Isa. 53:1] ³⁹ On account of this they were unable (or: they had no power) to be trusting or believing, because, again (= elsewhere), Isaiah says, ⁴⁰ "He has blinded their eyes with the present result that they are still blind, and He hardened (or: petrified) their heart, to the end that they could (or: should; would) not see with [their] eyes nor could they direct [their] mind so as to perceive and get the thought in (or: with) the heart and be turned, so I, Myself, will proceed to heal (or: cure) them." [Isa. 6:10] ⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and knew His reputation, and spoke about Him. ⁴² Just the same, however, many of the rulers also (or: many, even from among the chiefs,) believed and placed their trust into Him, but still, because of the Pharisees, they did not begin confessing (= openly avowing their faith) or keep on speaking in agreement so that they would not become ones cut off from (separated away from) the synagogue, ⁴³ for they loved and held precious the opinion, esteem and reputation (the glory; the manifestation which calls forth praise) of the humans (or: from people) rather than even the opinion, esteem and reputation (the glory; the manifestation which calls forth the praise) of, and which come from, God. ⁴⁴ Now Jesus suddenly gives out a loud exclamation (or: cries out) and says, "The person progressively believing and continuing to put trust into Me is not continuously believing and placing trust into Me, but rather, into the One sending Me, ⁴⁵ "and the person continually gazing at and contemplatively watching Me is continuously looking upon (viewing and contemplating; watching) the One sending Me. ⁴⁶ "I, Myself a Light, have come into, and am now within, the world (the organized system of religion, culture and government; the ordered and adorned arrangement; or: secular society; or: the cosmos, or universe), to the end that everyone (all people; all) – [each] one habitually trusting and progressively believing into Me – can not (should not; may not; would not) remain (abide; dwell) within the midst of the Darkness, or in union with dim shadiness or obscurity. [note: darkness is perhaps a figure for their religious system, or for the world that does not know what God is really like, or for the Night, that period before the coming of the Day] ⁴⁷ "And yet, if anyone can listen to and would hear [implying: obey] results of the flow of My sayings and declarations (the gush-effects said by Me) and yet can not (may not; should not) keep (guard; maintain; watch-over and protect) [them? Himself?], I, Myself, have no habit of separating him so as to make a distinction with him, or to evaluate or be judging him. For I did not come to the end that I should (could; would) constantly separate, evaluate, make distinctions and be judging the world (the System; secular society; the arranged aggregate of humans), but to the contrary, to the end that I could, and will [note: verb form is both a subjunctive aorist, and a future] progressively save the world (restore the universe to its original state and condition; or: make the ordered System healthy and whole; rescue and deliver the ordered and adorned arrangement of religion, culture and secular society; or: heal the aggregate of mankind). [cf chapter 3:16] ⁴⁸ "The person habitually displacing, disregarding, rejecting or setting-aside Me, and not progressively taking in hand and receiving or getting the effects of what I have gushed in speech (the results of My sayings and declarations which flowed), is constantly having that which is (or: the One) continuously evaluating, progressively deciding and repeatedly judging him: the Word (message; thought; idea; Logos) which I spoke (or: speak)! THAT will continue to sift, separate, evaluate and make a decision about (or: be judging) him – within (or: in union with) the Last Day – ⁴⁹ "because I Myself do not speak from out of the midst of Myself, but to the contrary, the One sending Me – [the] Father, Himself – has given an implanted goal (an impartation of the finished, purposed product within; an inward directive of destiny) to Me: what I could (or: should; would; may) say, and what I will proceed to (or, as a subjunctive aorist: could, should, would or may) speak. ⁵⁰ "And I have seen and know that His implanted goal (purposed impartation of the finished product within; inward directive of destiny) is, and continuously exists being, eonian life (life of and for the ages; life having the qualities and characteristics of the Messianic Age; an eon-lasting life which pertains to, and comes from, the Age). Therefore, the things which I Myself am habitually (or: continuously; periodically) speaking, just and according as the Father has told Me (or: declared to Me), thus I am habitually and continually speaking (= When I speak, I repeat what the Father has told Me)."